Far From Home (Sequel)
by adoringambrose
Summary: Anything but Ordinary Sequel!/After Meredith moves to Cincinnati, Dean finds life without her to be unbearable and he slips back into his old habits of drug abuse. Will he change for the sake of their relationship and child? Dean Ambrose/OC Meredith.
1. Chapter 1

Meredith sighed as she looked out the window of the Cincinnati apartment. She wasn't happy where she was. She wanted to be with Dean in Los Angeles, but she realized that it was her own choice that brought her here. Over the past two months, her knee had healed almost completely and her baby bump was starting to show, which made her miss Dean even more. In just six short months, their precious baby boy or girl would be here, and that terrified her more than anything. However, Meredith shortened her job in Cincinnati from six months to four, so she would return to LA in May instead of July.

While Meredith was looking out the window, planning out the rest of her life, Celeste sat at the kitchen table and finally spoke up.

"So what's gonna happen to me after you leave Ohio? Do I go back to a foster home for someone to beat me? Do I stay with Sami? Do I live on the streets?"

Meredith didn't know how to respond. She hated the fact that a young girl like Celeste was worrying about where she would sleep from night to night. She wanted Celeste to be safe, and she wanted her to be part of her and Dean's family when she returned home to LA. Meredith walked over from the fire escape and sat down at the table with the small girl.

"Honey, why wouldn't you think I wouldn't take you with me?" Meredith's face scrunched up.

"Because who would want a dirty, hungry, orphan living in their perfect home?" Tears brimmed her eyes.

Those words sent chills down Meredith's spine and in some way, it angered her that Celeste would think so lowly of herself as to say those horrible things about herself.

"Celeste, you're family."

"Meredith, we're not related. You don't even know anything about me." She shot back.

"You don't have to be blood to be considered family, Celeste." Meredith's tone turned serious.

"Still doesn't change the fact you don't know anything about me." Celeste pointed out again.

She was right. For the past two months, Meredith had been so busy with work, that she barely got to spend any time in getting to know Celeste. She didn't want to be like all of the other people in Celeste's life. Meredith wanted to put an effort in getting to know the girl, and she wanted her to know that she was welcome in her home.

"Yeah, well, maybe that needs to change."

* * *

><p>Meredith had finally gotten to work and right when she walked through the doors, the receptionist gave her a list of three names to deal with for the day. Since being in Cincinnati, Meredith had worked with four people, and they had all graduated from their counseling, so now she was going to be working with different people. When she looked down at the list, Meredith had realized that one of the names had been crossed off and one didn't have a last name.<p>

"Uh, why is Jase Phillips crossed-"

"Oh, he got arrested earlier today for burglary." Cassidy shook her head.

"Okay, and why doesn't Darlene have a last name on here?" Meredith questioned again.

"She knows too many people around here. She didn't want to be found out. Sort of a confidential thing." The woman replied.

Meredith said no more and walked to a room with her patient's name on the plate. She knocked before entering, and an unpleasant voice grumbled from behind the metal barrier.

"Who is it!?"

"Um..Brogan? Mr. Wittenmeyer?" Meredith stammered "It's Meredith. Meredith Rollins? Im..uh..here for your appointment."

There was no response, but the door flung open inward. Meredith walked into the dim lit room and sat down in the chair at the round table in his room. He soon joined her and the room was silent. He looked over at her clipboard and then up at Meredith.

"You think you're gonna help me?" He chuckled.

"Well, that's why I'm here, sir."

"I ain't no addict, lady." His tone grew harsh.

"Then why are you here, Brogan?

"Have a place to sleep." He nodded.

Meredith said nothing, but listened to his story.

"Yeah, I used to pop pills and do speed, but I quit that after my wife had her baby. That was about six years ago. Then my wife kicked me out of the house after I cheated on her. I didn't mean to, I loved her, I still do, but I made some bad choices. After she kicked me out, I started doing some more drugs; stuff like ecstasy. I popped like five at a time and passed out wherever I found suitable. I spent all the money in my bank account on drugs, so I came here. I've been in this joint for about five years and I've been clean for almost three. I just stay here for a place to sleep."

Meredith was speechless. She knew most of the people here were probably doing the same thing, but she didn't want to make assumptions. Meredith closed her notebook and gently smiled at Brogan who was on the verge of a break down.

"Congratulations, Mr. Wittenmeyer."

"Please don't tell on me." He pleaded.

"I wouldn't do that, Brogan. Have a nice day. If anyone asks, we had a long discussion about why your wife is the main point to why you do drugs."

Meredith stood up and walked towards the door. Brogan said nothing else and went back to laying in his bed. As she was walking out, Brogan's voice stopped her.

"Ms. Rollins?"

"Yes?" Meredith asked as she turned to face him.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>Dean paced around the condo and waited by the phone. Meredith usually called him by noon, but it was almost two o'clock and he was getting impatient. Ever since Meredith started her job, Dean heard from her less and less and to be completely honest, he felt as if he was going crazy. Work was pretty slow for him and he wouldn't be getting his push until Wrestlemania, so he had a lot on his mind, and not hearing from his pregnant girlfriend was almost too much to bear.<p>

It was obvious that Dean wasn't going to hear from Meredith unless he called her first, so he picked up the phone and began to dial her number.

* * *

><p>Meredith had just sat down at a round table with Darlene when her phone started buzzing on the table. Without looking at who it was, she answered.<p>

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." Dean rolled his eyes.

"Dean, I don't have time to talk right now." Meredith's tone was irritated.

"Why?"

"I'm with a patient, Dean."

"Fine."

"I'll talk to you later, I love you." She frowned.

"Mhm."

Without saying it back, Dean slammed down the phone and Meredith felt a pain in her stomach. Her aching pain was interrupted by Darlene's voice.

"Everything alright, darlin?"

"Yeah, not really. My boyfriend Dean hasn't been wrestling as much as he'd like. He's driving me crazy; we're having a baby in less than six months and we can't even see each other."

When Meredith looked up at Darlene, her eyes were staring off with tears welling up. She gulped and laid her hand over her chest. With a whisper in her voice, she managed to choke out a few words.

"Dean? Dean, who?"

"Ambrose. He used to live around here when he was younger. you know him?"

Again, Darlene stared off out the window. Another gulp and a sigh came from her and she nodded and smiled softly to fight off the tears.

"I did once...but that was long ago."

Meredith was intrigue; someone here knew Dean. Maybe Darlene could answer the questions that Meredith still had about him.

"How do you know De-"

"Meredith, I have to go. It was lovely seeing you. I'll be back tomorrow for my next appointment."

Before Meredith had time to protest, Darlene was halfway out the door. Meredith was left alone in the room to gather her thoughts of the intervention with a mystery woman who knew her boyfriend.

* * *

><p>Dean looked around the empty condo and screamed in frustration. He was losing control of his life and Meredith had no clue. He had been slipping back into his old routines like he had in Puerto Rico and this time, Sami wasn't there to calm him down or reason with him. He took a look in the mirror and saw a shell of what he used to be. His skin was pale despite the LA sunshine, he looked as if he hadn't slept in weeks, his clothes hung from his body, and he felt as if his body was on fire. Needle marks covered his arms and he couldn't control the shaking fits that he had.<p>

Dean didn't know why he started back up on the habits, but he felt better when he passed out for fourteen hours at a time. That way, he wouldn't have to deal with the realization that Meredith left him. He staggered into the kitchen and flung pots and pans off the walls, still screaming in a panicked rage.

"Is this what you wanted Meredith!?" He screamed out. "Do you want me to go back to how I used to be!? You think ignoring me is gonna work? You're gonna have to run me over with a truck to get rid of me sunshine! You think you're a better parent than me, huh? You think you're fucking cool cause you got a job. Well fuck you!" He screamed again as he threw a picture frame at the wall.

The vase shattered and Dean panted and shook in anger as he watched it. He walked onto the shattered glass and knelt down to pick up the frame. He didn't realize that it was a picture of him and Meredith, and as he looked at it, he broke down like he always did.

"Meredith..." His anger fell to depression and then to blubbering sobs. "Come back...please come back. I miss you. God, I fucking miss you."

Dean didn't realize that he had left the door to the condo unlocked, and Roman walked through the door to see what all the commotion was about, and when he saw Dean on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably with pills and needles everywhere, he knew what was happening. Roman walked over to the smaller man and patted his back.

"You don't need this stuff, man." His voice grumbled.

Dean looked down at his bleeding hands and started scratching at his arms again. He knew he couldn't be without Meredith. He needed her in his life. He didn't want his child to live how he used to. He wanted something better for the kid. When he didn't respond, Roman spoke again, trying to bring Dean out of his own little world.

"Dean-"

Dean stood up and walked to the bedroom that he shared with Meredith and stuffed clothes into an empty suitcase and walked back to the living room.

"Dean what are you doing man?" Roman's words continued.

"I'm going to see my girl."

* * *

><p><strong><em>So, I hope I'm gonna do this sequel justice. I don't really know where I'm taking it, but I'll be sure not to disappoint. And if you haven't read the prequel, it's on my page under the name "Anything but Ordinary." Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave reviews. :3<em>**


	2. Chapter 2

"So how's school?" Meredith hesitantly asked Celeste as she crunched on her toast.

"Well..I can't really talk about it." Celeste awkwardly spoke.

"What do you-"

"I promised I wouldn't tell anyone." Celeste looked down.

"Tell anyone what, Cel?"

"That my friend Robby is getting beat up and I can't do anything about it." Celeste wiped at a falling tear.

"Beaten up by who?" Meredith kept hounding.

"These kids in eighth grade. They always kick him off his bike and stuff after school. I'm scared to help him 'cause what if they hurt me too?" Celeste looked up at Meredith.

"Honey, they wouldn't hit a girl." Meredith tried to assure her.

"Mer, can I maybe be home schooled? I don't wanna go back there..." She pleaded.

"Cel, I'm really busy with work right now. Can't you go for another month?"

"It'll just get worse!" She shrieked. "It's been getting worse since the first day you made me go, Mer!"

Meredith sat silent and watched the sobbing girl. Never had she seen Celeste so worked up before. She wanted to help, but she didn't really know how it was going to be logical with work and preparing for her baby to home school her everyday.

"Celeste..."

"Look! Look what that place is doing to me!" Celeste yelled again.

When Meredith looked over at her, she pulled up both sleeves of her sweater and Meredith saw cut after cut lined along her small arms. The scabs had started to form, but there were more cuts covering them. Meredith grabbed her arms and looked in her frightened little eyes that mimicked Dean's. Meredith said nothing, but pulled Celeste's small body into her arms. She had to help her out before Cincinnati took another person Dean cared about.

"Please, Mer." Celeste whispered.

"Anything to keep you safe, Cel."

* * *

><p>Dean drove down the long highway that, to him, seemed like an endless road. He wanted to get to Meredith as fast as possible. He knew he should've just taken a flight, but he wasn't thinking rationally. His skin still felt like it was on fire, and he was still pale. As he looked in the rear view mirror at his face, he didn't see the successful 225 pound Shield member. Instead, he saw the scared teenager back in Puerto Rico who almost threw his life away. He didn't want to go down that road again, even though he was already halfway there.<p>

Dean reached over and turned the radio on, hoping that something could take his troubles away. He fumbled around with the tuner and ended up on an alternative station. It was playing Over and Over by Three Days Grace. He remembered how quiet car rides used to be before Meredith came along. She changed everything in his life. Somethings were good, some were bad, but he loved that girl.

**_I feel it everyday it's all the same_**  
><strong><em>It brings me down but I'm the one to blame<em>**  
><strong><em>I've tried everything to get away<em>**

"Meredith..." He breathed helplessly.

He hated how empty he felt without Meredith in his life. She was almost four months pregnant and while she was out making a living and trying to make him proud, Dean was in LA making his life worse. He thought that maybe Social Services was right when they said he wasn't good enough to take care of Celeste. Dean heard his phone ringing and when he looked over at it, he was happier than ever.

"Hey, beautiful." He smiled.

"Hi Deano." Celeste laughed.

"Shit, I thought you were Meredith." He laughed back.

"So I'm not beautiful?" She pouted.

"Of course you are. You're an Ambrose." He smugly grinned.

"I'll go get Meredith."

**_Over and over, over and over_**  
><strong><em>I fall for you<em>**  
><strong><em>Over and over, over and over<em>**  
><strong><em>I try not to<em>**

"Dean?" She smiled into the phone.

The beautiful, familiar voice sent chills down Dean's body and made tears burn in his eyes. He felt ashamed that he loved someone so much that without her he felt like nothing, but he didn't care. Meredith was his girlfriend, and she was carrying his baby, so that made him love her even more.

"Mer." He matched her smile.

"I miss you baby." She spoke softly.

"I miss you too."

"Dean, are you okay? You sound different..." Her tone changed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just in a car for, uh, a house show."

"Oh, well, I gotta go anyway. I just wanted to say I love you." Meredith smiled again.

"I love you too, Meredith."

The call got lost and the connection fizzled out as Dean came to a stop light in Columbus, Indiana.

**_I know what's best for me_**  
><strong><em>But I want you instead<em>**  
><strong><em>I'll keep on wasting all my time<em>**

A night of driving non stop, and doing the same throughout the day, Dean was an hour and a half away from Cincinnati. The closer he got, the more nervous he became. He didn't know how he was going to explain the dramatic weight loss and worn out look of his entire body, but he would think of something on the way, but right now he had to focus on not falling asleep at the wheel.

"I'll be there soon, sweetheart." Dean muttered to himself.

* * *

><p>Meredith sat at the kidney bean shaped table with Darlene again for the second day in a row and still had all these questions. How did she know Dean? Where did she come from? What was even her addiction? She didn't know, but she planned to find out. Meredith finished filling out the paperwork and looked up at Darlene who was staring at Meredith's pudgy tummy and smiling. Something about Darlene looked familiar, but Meredith couldn't put her finger on it.<p>

"So, Darlene?" Meredith brought her out of her daze.

"Yes, darlin'?"

"Would you mind telling me your story?" Meredith clicked her pin.

"Oh, right, my story," Darlene looked out the window, "Well, what's there to say? I became an alcoholic after my abusive husband got arrested, I lost almost everything that was important to me, I've been broke about all my life. I'm just an alcoholic who should probably be dead."

Meredith looked down at the paper and then up at Darlene. She set the pen and paper down and just thought she would leave out the whole "psychiatrist" act on Darlene. Meredith wanted to know everything.

"Darlene, do you have any children?"

"I do." Darlene nodded.

"Where are they?"

"Oh honey, they're all grown up now. I haven't heard from either of them for years."

"Either? So you have two kids?" Meredith questioned.

"Yes, a son and a daughter." Darlene answered.

She seemed so calm at the way Meredith was antagonizing her with questions and details of her personal life. It was almost like she was waiting for Meredith to put the pieces together about something.

"What about grandchildren?" Meredith questioned again.

"Well, no. Not yet, sweetheart."

"Darlene, what's your last name?"

* * *

><p>Dean pounded on the door of apartment A17, and when the door opened, he saw Celeste looking up at him with a frightened expression on her face. This wasn't the same man who had gone back to LA after Meredith moved here. She noticed his muscle tone had declined greatly, his skin was paler than she remembered, his hoodie and jeans hung from his body, he looked sick, and she immediately knew what was happening.<p>

"Dean, why?" She backed away from the door and started crying.

"Cel, no, don't cry." He quickly pulled her into a hug.

"Why are you doing this again?" She sobbed.

"I don't know..." He shrugged.

"Meredith isn't here." Celeste informed.

"Where is she?" He looked at her.

"Work." She looked down.

"Cel, look at me."

"What, Dean? Are you gonna tell me you're gonna stop? Cause you won't. You told me that when I was getting taken away from you. You said you'd stop every time you called to check up on me at the homes I got sent to. You said you'd stop for good. You're not gonna stop!" She screamed.

Dean didn't blame Celeste's reaction. He knew she would be angry, and he knew Meredith would be hurt. He didn't know why he hurt everyone he cared about, but that's just how he was. Dean sat on the bed to his old bedroom and looked at her.

"Cel, I'm sor-"

"I don't wanna hear that you're sorry. If you're sorry then you wouldn't put us through this." She whimpered.

"And if you cared about me or Meredith, you wouldn't do that to yourself." Dean motioned to the cuts on her arms.

"It's not about me!" She screamed again.

"Celeste, stop yelling." Dean sternly spoke.

"You need to stop, Deano. You're gonna be a daddy soon. I might only be twelve, but I know what it feels like to be disappointed and sad. I know that you're gonna hurt the girl you love." She wiped at her eyes.

"So, should I drive or walk to where she is?"

"Drive. You don't need to lose any more weight. And put on another jacket so you don't look like a skeleton. Maybe eat a pizza before you go." She laughed.

Dean smirked and shook his head at her. Celeste, besides Meredith, was the most important lady in his life. He knew he lied and hurt her before, but he was putting his foot down. He wasn't the same guy who fucked up before, he was a man now. He had great things ahead of him in his life and he wasn't going to let drugs take over.

"I'm gonna stop this time, Cel." He looked at her with a straight face and grabbed her arm. "And you're gonna stop this too, okay?"

"Okay, Deano." She nodded and handed him a piece of paper.

"What's this?" He looked down at it.

"Well, I kinda thought you'd want the address to where Meredith is at." She giggled.

Dean kissed Celeste's forehead and headed towards the door quickly. As he was rushing down to his car, he was typing the address into his phone that he rarely used, and it brought the location up within three seconds. He got in the midnight blue charger and his engine roared as he sped down the street.

* * *

><p>"Honey, I'm not sure I'm ready to tell you that yet." Darlene wasn't going to budge.<p>

"Darlene, it's just your last name.." Meredith looked at her.

"Meredith I-"

A knock at the door interrupted Darlene and Meredith got up to open it. When she opened it, familiar lips crashed against hers. Tongues swirled with one another, and bodies were being pulled closer immediately. The kiss was eventually broken and Meredith hugged Dean's body tightly to hers.

"I missed you so much, Dean." She fought off tears.

"I missed you too, M-" Dean looked at the older auburn haired woman sitting in front of him. His skin turned paler than it already was and his jaw clenched together. His heart rate skyrocketed as he looked at her. "Mom?"

* * *

><p><strong><em>:o oh shoot. Reviews?<em>**


	3. Chapter 3

"Mom?" Meredith questioned Dean's words.

"Yes, Meredith," Darlene sighed, "Dean is my son."

Meredith didn't know how she missed the hints; the crying at the mention of Dean's name, Darlene not giving up her last name, staring at her belly and smiling. She even looked like Dean sometimes. Meredith didn't know how to react to the situation, but she knew Dean wouldn't react too kind.

Dean looked down and shook his head disapprovingly.

"Why the fuck are you here? Aren't you supposed to be dead? You've been a useless drunk your whole life, why is this time any different?" He growled.

"Dean, you can't talk to my patients like this. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave." Meredith solemnly spoke as she gently grabbed his arm.

Dean shoved Meredith off his arm and into the door she was standing beside.

"Don't fucking touch me, Meredith." He snarled.

Meredith immediately started crying as her back made contact with the metal door. She was so shocked at his behavior, Dean had never laid a hand on her abusively. He knew what she had been through with Dustin, and the fact that she was pregnant and he pushed her, broke her heart even more.

Without saying anything else or even looking up at him, Meredith rushed out of the room sobbing. Dean began to leave the room to catch up to her, but Darlene's voice stopped him.

"You're using again, aren't you?" Her voice spoke in disappointment. "You're acting just like your father when he-"

"I'm nothing like that lousy son of a bitch!" Dean screamed and leaned against the wall.

"Show me your arms, Dean."

"No. I don't have to show you anything."

"Then show Meredith." Darlene pleaded. "She's a lovely girl, Dean. Really cares about you, I can see it in her eyes when she talks about you. She's carrying your child, Dean, she deserves to know."

Dean slid down the wall and hid his face in his hands. He remembered vividly of all the times his dad would shoot up and then hit his mom later on that night. He would always blame her for his horrible life and would always complain that Dean was an awful, disobedient child. Dean remembered driving his mother to the hospital when he wasn't even old enough to have a license and telling the doctor that his mom fell down the stairs again. After four episodes of the same thing, the doctor began to realize that Darlene may have been a victim of an abusive relationship. Soon after, his father got arrested and Dean hadn't seen him since which was fine by him.

Dean didn't want to end up like his father. He didn't want to be like Dustin and he swore to Meredith that he wouldn't be. He didn't want her to flinch every time he would go in for a kiss or a hug. He didn't want to be feared. Like he told Meredith at Disney Land, he wasn't a bad guy, and he still wasn't, he just had to find the old Dean. He hated acting like this. Dean began to break down into his hands.

"I love her so much." He whimpered.

"I know you do, son. That's why you need to talk to her." Darlene walked over and rubbed his back.

"I'm just like dad..."

"No," Darlene shook her head, "You're not. Never did I picture you or Lauren ending up like me or your father."

"Where is Lauren, anyhow?" Dean muttered.

"I don't know. I haven't seen or talked to her since she ran away." Darlene frowned.

There was a moment of silence, but to both of their surprise, it wasn't awkward. Dean still felt comfortable around his mother. It was never her that he hated. It was never her that did anything wrong. Dean broke the silence and looked up at her.

"I'm sorry he hit you." His voice whispered.

"I'm sorry I let it happen for so long." She whispered back.

"Mom?" Dean looked up at her again.

"Yeah, Dean?"

"It wasn't your fault."

"I know it wasn't..." Darlene tried to smile as she wiped her eyes.

Dean stood up from the floor and for the first time in almost twelve years, he hugged his mother. He realized that she wasn't the one who ruined his life or made him feel like he would never accomplish anything; it was his dad. If anything, she tried to give him the best life. Dean chuckled as he remembered how short she was.

Meredith walked back into the room that Dean had practically shoved her out of, ready to give him a piece of her mind, but when she saw him and his mother hugging each other and crying, all of her anger subsided and she managed to grin as Dean looked at her. Dean let go of his mother and walked over to Meredith. He backed her against the wall and looked down at her. His hand came up to her pudgy tummy and he softly ran his fingers over it. His lips softly brushed against hers and he felt her fingers interlock with his on her belly.

"I think we need to talk..." Dean muttered against her lips.

Meredith looked over at Darlene and she shooed her hands at them, letting Meredith know it was okay to finish their appointment another day. Meredith grabbed Dean's hand and he led her out to his car.

When they got inside, Dean sighed and Meredith knew something was wrong. She could tell he looked exhausted, he looked sick, and he looked empty inside.

They drove back to Meredith's apartment, knowing Celeste was with her friends. The car ride was silent, not even the radio was turned on. Just chilling silence that didn't settle with either of them too well. Whatever this talk was that they needed to have, wasn't going to be a good one.

* * *

><p>Walking into the apartment, Dean noticed that it was all decorated and taken care of. He looked around at his unrecognizable childhood home. Memories flashed in and out of Dean's head like they had done when he first brought Meredith here. He didn't like being here, but he would do anything for her. Meredith had enough of the silent treatment, and she was determined to get to the bottom of Dean's behavior.<p>

"Dean, what's-"

"Meredith..." Dean looked away painfully, "I can't..I can't do this anymore."

Meredith's heart dropped down to her feet and she managed to choke out a word or two.

"What? I-"

"I can't live without you, Meredith. I can't. Don't you see what it's doing to me?"

Dean began to remove his sweatshirt and plain white shirt from his body. Meredith could see the scratch marks all over his upper body. She noticed his muscle tone had decreased, but there was still plenty left. The needle scars were almost enough to make her break down, but she tried to stay strong.

"Dean.." Meredith's voice drifted, "How long has this been happening?"

"Since a month after you left." He looked down.

Dean was waiting for Meredith to scream at him, hit him, tell him she never wanted to see him again. He was waiting for her to tell him that he would never get to know who his child was, but instead, she walked over to him and cupped his face in her hand. She looked up at him with her pretty brown eyes that practically screamed in disappointment and pain, but there was also love in that look. Meredith kissed down his cheek to his neck and soon, she knew he would be putty in her hands.

"Mer.." He breathed.

"Shh." She smirked as she led him to her bedroom.

Dean laid Meredith down on her bed and crawled on top of her body, kissing every inch of visible skin he saw. She let out a few whimpers as he bit a few areas on her collarbone, and began to remove her shirt. Dean looked down at her body and he saw the small bump inside of her tummy. He kissed down her chest to her baby bump and started fumbling with her pants. He needed her and she needed him just as bad.

Dean's lips pressed against Meredith's neck lightly before he began sucking on her sensitive skin, causing her to inhale sharply.

"You like that?" He smirked against her neck.

"Dean.." Meredith softly moaned as his hands began roaming her body.

Soon enough, every article of clothing was removed from the other and Dean kept up his seductive torture on Meredith. He slid a finger into her, making her whimper quietly as she moved her hips against him. Meredith wasn't going to be the only one being teased; she wrapper her hand around his member and Dean began thrusting into her hand. Before she knew it, Dean slid his into her, both moaning out in pleasure.

Dean grabbed Meredith by the hair and pulled her face against his, thrusting into her roughly.

"God, I missed you." He moaned into her ear. "I've wanted this for so long, you have no idea."

Dean and Meredith were both panting as he quickened his thrusts. He knew neither of them would last long, it had been too long since he felt her. He needed a release just as much as she did. Dean gripped Meredith's thighs and thrust his full length into her, causing her to cry out and drawing her release from her. Dean grunted as he felt her walls tighten around him. Meredith felt him throbbing wildly inside of her, and then his release coated her walls, drawing out another orgasm from her body.

Dean looked into her eyes as he pulled out of her and laid by her side. They both curled up under the blankets, cuddling in each other's arms. Neither of them said anything. They didn't really know what to say. Meredith didn't know what the future held for either of them. Dean made it pretty clear that it was either Cincinnati or him, and she didn't know what to do. Dean's arm came around Meredith's waist and pulled her closer to him; her tummy pressed against his.

"You're so beautiful baby." He whispered. "That baby bump makes you look even more beautiful."

Meredith said nothing and rested her head on his chest. Her finger drew circles across his abdomen. Dean lifted her chin up to look at him and she immediately broke down.

"Baby," He pulled her into his arms and sat up against the headboard, "Hey, don't cry. Why are you crying, pretty girl?"

"Dean, I don't want to break up. I'm sorry my job doesn't let me talk to you as much as I'd like. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It's just with taking care of Celeste, and trying to organize my schedule, I'm really-"

Deans lips crashed against Meredith's and his tongue intruded her mouth. Their tongues swirled together as he brought his thumb up to wipe the tears on her cheek. The kiss was broken and their foreheads leaned against each other's as they both took a heavy breath.

"I'm not breaking up with you. I wouldn't log all the miles on my car just to come break your heart. Meredith, don't you get it? I can't live without you. I used to tell everyone that you were my new drug, and I really meant it. You made all my demons go away. You brought something into my life that I can't explain. I fell in love with everything about you. I don't care about your scars, I don't care about your past. I care about our future. Our baby."

"Then why did you push me?" She whimpered.

"I felt like I was being pushed out of your life. Meredith, you have to understand that I was told by authorities that my mother was dead. Flat out dead, and that was the last I knew about it. When Travis said that he saw my mom, I thought he was just fucking with me. I didn't know she was alive. It was just too much and I...I don't know. I'm so sorry. Meredith, I love you. I love this baby, I don't want to lose you."

"Do you know what that felt like? When you pushed me? I felt like I was being pushed back to where I didn't want to be. I felt like a rag doll. I felt worthless. I'm carrying not only my, but your child, Dean. Shoving me wasn't the best decision. You told me you'd never hurt me. Dean..."

"Baby," Dean began, "I know. I hurt you. I'm sorry. But I can't keep apologizing. I needed to come see you. I was going crazy in LA without you. Walking around on that fucking yellow floor. Sleeping in _our_ bed. Opening the closet to all of _our_ clothes. Taking a shower in _our_ home. I was breaking, Meredith. I can't stand the fact not getting to kiss you whenever I want. I can't be there for you when something bad happens. I'm not here to listen to how your day was, or see Celeste. It's like the world is ending when I'm not with you. Meredith, I'm losing my fucking mind without you." He sighed.

"So what are you saying, Dean?"

"Meredith..."

"Just say it, Dean. You wanted to talk, so talk." She pouted.

"Meredith, just come to dinner with me tonight. Wear a pretty dress, I'll pick you up at eight. We can talk then."

Dean pulled on his clothes and made his way to the door. Meredith didn't know what to think anymore. Every time he wanted to talk, he would put it off a little bit longer. She hated not knowing. Dean looked back at her wrapped in her blankets with tears in her eyes. He could tell she was breaking just as bad as he was. Cincinnati wasn't where she belonged.

"I love you, Meredith." He looked away and walked out of the apartment, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

She watched his car drive away to god knows where, and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I love you too, Dean."

* * *

><p><strong><em>:3 longer chapter than the other two, but I felt it was necessary. Reviews? (:<em>**


	4. Chapter 4

Dean drove around Cincinnati for about 15 minutes before he decided on where to stop. He had to see his best friend. Surely Sami had enough time to talk to Dean. Maybe he could talk some sense into him like he always used to. Maybe he could tell Dean why everything felt like it was moving forward, but he wasn't moving with it.

Dean pulled into the familiar driveway of Sami's childhood home to see that his beaten up Ford was in the garage. Sami was there and hopefully he would be happy to see him. Since Dean went to the WWE he hadn't really seen or talked to Sami and he blamed himself on their crumbling friendship, but Sami was the only person Dean felt comfortable talking to about his problems.

Dean turned off his car and walked up the winding sidewalk to Sami's front door. He knocked and waited for an answer, but nobody came to the door. He knocked again and heard an older man coughing and swearing at him from the inside. When the door opened, Sami's father looked him over before realizing who it was.

"Well, god damn, it's Dean!" The fragile man perked up.

"Hey, Scott. How ya doin'?" Dean stuck out his hand.

Scott shook his hand with as much strength as he had and pulled Dean into the warm house.

"Come on in, Ambrose. Long time, no see. What are you doing back in Ohio?"

Scott talked faster than anyone Dean knew when he got excited. He could tell Chemo had turned him into a struggling victim, but knowing how he was, Scott wasn't going to let cancer beat him. Dean sat down on the couch next to Mr. Callihan and talked for a while about his childhood with Sami, their love for wrestling, Dean's mother, a lot of personal things he could never talk about to anyone else.

"Well, well, well," A voice came from behind Dean, "Look what the cat dragged back to Cincinnati."

Dean looked behind him and saw the short best friend that he missed more than anything. He knew Sami would be moved up to the main roster in the WWE in the next few months if creative had any brain cells left. Sami was his favorite person to tag with during matches because the two had known each other their entire lives.

"Hey, dude." Dean chuckled and stood up to give Sami a hug.

"What brings you here?" Sami sat down next to his dad on the couch.

"Well, uh.." Dean began but was interrupted by Sami's dad.

"Sami, I'm tired. Can you help me to the bed?" Scott's voice was pleading.

"Yeah dad. Come on," Sami got up and held onto his weak father, "I'll be back in a sec, man." He called back to Dean.

Sami started walking slowly back to Scott's bedroom and rolled his oxygen tank with them. His father had been in remission for a few months, but Sami didn't want to get his hopes up. Scott wasn't looking too healthy even though he had beaten cancer for the meantime.

"Take your time." Dean mumbled.

Dean stood up and looked around the house. It hadn't changed a bit. There was still wrestling memorabilia on shelf after shelf in the living room and there were pictures of Sami as a kid with his mom who passed away a year before Sami started wrestling.

Dean liked to think that Deborah would've been proud to see where Sami is now. She would've been his number one fan without a doubt. Dean wished he had a relationship with his mother that Sami had with his. He always felt like something was missing when he looked in the crowds during his matches.

He continued looking around the house and saw a sleeping cat on the floor. Dean laughed as it looked up at him.

"I can't believe you're still alive. Jesus.." He knelt down and scratched the cat's head.

"Dean." Sami spoke up as he walked back into the room.

"Hey, Sam. How's he doing?" Dean asked, referring to Sami's dad.

"Well, he's fine for now. He's really weak. I don't like seeing him like this, man." Sami looked down in shame.

"Is he, ya know, cured?"

"Yeah, but again, it could be a temporary state." Sami shrugged.

Dean didn't say anything, but he noticed Sami looking him up and down with a disgusted look on his face.

"You were doing so good, man. Why'd you start up again?"

"Start what up?" Dean tried to act dumb.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about, man. You look like you weigh less than my dad."

"I couldn't take life without Meredith." Dean looked down at his feet.

"Speaking of Meredith," Sami began, "You ask her yet?"

"Not yet. I was planning on asking her tonight."

"Well, do you at least have a ring?" Sami laughed.

Dean reached down into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet box and popped it open. Sami's eyebrows raised at how stunning Dean's taste was in a ring. He didn't look like the type of guy that was good at picking out jewelry, but it was probably the prettiest ring that he had ever seen and he knew Meredith would love it.

"Damn." Sami laughed, "Its the size of Alabama."

"Think she'll like it?" Dean laughed back.

"Mhm." Sami hummed.

"I'm taking her out to dinner tonight. I think I'm just gonna get to it right away."

"Nah dude, you gotta make it seem like you're gonna break up with her."

"Why would I-"

"And then pop out the ring and be like, 'tada.'"

"Dude, I'm trying to get her to marry me, not beat my ass in public." Dean laughed.

"Just trying to help, man." Sami laughed with him. "Get on out of here. It's almost six o'clock. You gotta get ready and pick her up."

"Well, uh, I got a couple hours. I don't really know what to do." Dean explained.

"Why not just make the dinner yourself. You don't wanna spend your engagement night in a crowded restaurant with people probably recognizing you and ruining her moment."

Dean thought about it for a minute and Sami was right. Dean got noticed almost everywhere he went and he was just asking for a spotlight if he went to a restaurant in his hometown. Dean nodded his head and looked up at Sami.

"So what are you thinking man?" Sami asked.

Dean laughed and scratched the back of his head.

"I'm thinking...I got a lot to do in a little amount of time."

* * *

><p>Meredith rushed around the house trying to get ready on time. Dean would be here any minute and she was still putting on the little makeup that Dean allowed her to wear. She did an overview of herself in the full-length mirror. She was dressed in a red mid-thigh length dress with long sleeves, black wedge heels and her hair was curled. She looked at the bump protruding out of her stomach and smiled as she rubbed her hand over it. Soon, she would be able to hold him or her in the real world instead of just rubbing her belly.<p>

A knock on the door made Meredith scurry into the living room and she looked out the peephole and saw Dean. She smiled to herself and opened the door to see him in a full black suit, identical to the one he had worn when he presented the Slammy Awards with Seth and Roman. Meredith and Dean both bit their bottom lip as they took in the sight of each other. Dean's eyes immediately darted down to her belly and he smirked.

"Ready to go, miss Rollins?" Dean stuck out his hand for her.

Meredith reached out and grabbed his hand and smiled up at him.

"Why yes I am, Mr. Ambrose."

Dean lifted her hand up to his and kissed it before playfully pulling her out of the apartment, earning a giggling squeal from Meredith.

"Dean!" She laughed as he pulled her down the stairs to his car.

When they got down to his car pulled over on the sidewalk, Dean opened Meredith's door for her and closed it when she got in. He wanted to be as romantic as possible for her tonight. Besides, who said chivalry was dead?

"Where to, miss?" Dean smirked.

"Wherever you're taking me." She blushed.

Before pulling away, Dean pulled a spare tie out of his bag from the back seat and handed it to Meredith.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" She lifted her brow at him.

"Tie it around your head and cover your eyes." Dean giggled.

"Why?" She laughed at the silly demand.

Dean pulled Meredith over to him gently by her neck and planted a rough kiss to her lips, leaving her out of breath when he pulled away from her.

"Just do it." He grumbled in her ear, causing her to bite her lip.

Meredith did as she was told and Dean's car began to pull away from the side of the road. He wanted Meredith to be completely surprised to wherever he was taking her.

Meredith could hear the sound of the tires on the pavement and the sound of the soft music coming from the radio, but her vision was completely hidden behind the tie. She kind of liked being blind folded though. She liked not seeing where he was taking her, and she trusted him enough to know he wasn't going to take her out to the middle of nowhere and kill her.

"Dean, where are-"

"Shh." Dean hushed her.

"But are we at least-"

"We're here." Meredith heard the smirk in Dean's voice as he shut off the car. "Wait here."

"Where am I supposed to run off to in high heels and a blindfold?" Meredith giggled.

Meredith sat and waited for a few minutes in the car while she waited for Dean. She was starting to get concerned because it had been almost 10 minutes since he told her to wait and she was starting to think she'd have to wait forever.

Dean leaned against the trunk of the car with his face in his hands. He wanted to marry Meredith more than anything. He wanted to ask her to marry him and he wanted to see the look on her face when he popped the question and he wanted to see the birth of their child. He wanted to wake up at 3:00 a.m. with her to change or feed their baby that they made together. He wanted to be the best for her, but all of a sudden, it didn't feel right. He needed someone to witness it.

Dean finally got back into the car and sat by her. Without saying a word, he started the car up again. Meredith reached over and grabbed his hand.

"Dean, what's going on?"

"We...uh..how many days off do you have?" Dean stammered.

"I have this whole week off, but I promised I would start Celeste's homeschooling." Meredith explained.

"Well, call her and have Sami watch her."

"Dean what-"

"Meredith, please."

Meredith did as she was told and called up Celeste and explained the situation and to her surprise, Celeste wasn't too upset and she was excited to hang out with Sami for a few days while Dean and Meredith were off doing whatever it was that Dean had planned.

Dean smirked to himself. He knew the drive would be ridiculously long, but he knew the memory would be worth it. He wanted Meredith to experience the best proposal ever, and he wanted to do it in front of the family member who wouldn't be making it to the wedding.

* * *

><p><strong><em>I'm sorry this chapter took so long. :c I had it in my drafts, but I was busy with school. I hope you like this chapter and if you don't mind, check out my other story called Somewhere With You. Thanks! Leave reviews. (:<em>**


	5. Chapter 5

Dean felt as if he'd been driving on I-74 for hours, which he had. The directions on his phone said that he'd been driving for the past six hours, so that meant he was close to the destination where he was taking Meredith. He drove a few more miles until he took exit 4 onto River Drive. Dean turned his head momentarily to check on Meredith. She was sleeping like a baby like she had been for almost half of the drive. Dean preferred it that way so he wouldn't have to keep answering the 'are we there yet' questions.

The destination was getting closer and closer, and Dean was getting more nervous by the second. There were so many doubts going through his mind that he hadn't experienced before. Would Meredith think he was only proposing so he could get her to move back to LA? Would she even say yes to marrying him? What if she didn't say anything at all? Dean's palms were beginning to sweat as he pulled into the deserted parking lot and took a deep breath before turning off the engine to his car.

"Meredith." Dean spoke softly as he gently shook her shoulder.

"Hmm?" Meredith sleepily replied.

"We're here. Don't take off the blindfold, I'll come around to your side."

Meredith sat back in the seat and waited for Dean to open her car door. Once it was open, he grabbed her hand and helped her pregnant body out of the car. They began to walk slowly into the cemetery down the cobblestone path, and Meredith felt Dean's hand tremble.

"Are you alright?" She looked up towards him with the tie still around her eyes.

Dean nodded his head and then replied to her.

"Yeah, just a lot on my mind I guess."

"Oh." She spoke softly.

Dean brought Meredith down the path a bit more, past the fountain, and to the row where Stephen's headstone was. Now that he thought about it more, Dean was stupid to bring Meredith here and ask her for her hand in marriage. This would only hurt her even more than it did when she got the message that Stephen had died, bringing back the memories would only make it worse. Then again, maybe Meredith would be more likely to come back here and visit his empty plot if a happy event were to happen in this very spot.

Dean placed his arms around Meredith's waist and held her body to his which caused her pregnant belly to rub against his perfectly toned abdomen. He softly smiled and slowly began to remove the tie from her eyes.

"Please don't hate me for this." He whispered into her ear as he loosened the tie and took it off completely.

When Meredith looked around, she noticed the familiar scenery, and her worst nightmares were confirmed when she looked down to see her brother's name on the headstone next to her and Dean. She looked up at Dean in disbelief, as if he were insane to bring her here. He was afraid of this and quickly held her in his arms.

"Mer, I know you probably think I'm the biggest asshole ever for taking you here without your permission but-"

"But nothing, Dean! I didn't want to come here! You drove me almost seven hours to bring me to the most miserable place on earth!"

Dean clenched his jaw and looked down, letting go of his grip on her. He glared into her eyes sadly and shook his head.

"You know, I brought you here because I read the letter. Yeah, that's right, Meredith. I read the letter that Stephen wrote to you. Seth let me read it, and he probably shouldn't have, but he did. And you know what I read? I read that Stephen wanted more than anything to be at Seth and Leighla's wedding, he wanted more than anything to be at _our_ wedding, and he can't be. So I tried to do the next best thing and let him at least be here for the proposal."

Meredith looked into Dean's eyes and with each second, she felt herself growing angrier and more understanding at the same time. She was angry, but not at Dean. She was angry with Seth for letting Dean read something so personal that was written to her and nobody else, but she was also happy that Seth let Dean read the letter because it meant Stephen could be here for their proposal.

_Wait, did he say proposal?_

"Pro...proposal?" Meredith stammered.

Dean nodded and placed his hand on top of her stomach, sighing before he spoke.

"Meredith, when I first met you, I thought you were gorgeous. Little did I know you were my tag partner's little sister, but I thought you were gorgeous, and since you were my partner's little sister, I tried my best to lose the feelings I felt for you, but I couldn't. Whenever you would come around to Seth's condo, I got all goofy, and I don't really know what came over me. I don't know, Meredith, you've got this hold over me and I've yet to realize if that's a good or bad thing. I never really expected myself to ever have a girlfriend, let alone fall in love with someone and be so lucky to have a kid with the person I love, but I am," Dean blinked back a few tears as he choked up a little, "I know I haven't always been there for you when you needed me, and I'm sorry, but I promise I'll always be here for you now. I've done some stupid shit in my life that I'm not proud of, but I know I'm exactly where I need to be right now. You mesmerize me, Meredith. Every time I'm with you, it's like time stops for a while and...well, I just love you. Maybe this wasn't the best place to come, but at the time, I thought it would be a good idea. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Meredith watched as Dean got down on one knee in front of her on the grass. She placed her hands over her mouth and felt the tears beginning to stream down her face. Dean pulled out a black velvet box and popped it open to reveal a beautiful diamond encrusted ring. It was beautiful, this moment was beautiful, and for the first time since his death, Meredith felt Stephen's presence.

"Meredith Rollins, will you marry me?" Dean stared up at her with his piercing blue eyes and his messy auburn hair was blowing due to the wind.

Meredith giggled through her happy tears and nodded, sticking out her left hand for Dean to slide the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit.

* * *

><p>Celeste sat on the couch with Sami as they watched her favorite movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas. She snuggled close to him in her cocoon of blankets since the heat was messing up again. Sami didn't mind watching after Celeste, but he felt bad for her since she never really had a 'true' family and Meredith was pretty busy with her job. Even though she was trying to watch after Celeste at the same time, Sami could tell that she still wasn't getting the attention she deserved.<p>

"Wanna order a pizza or something, kiddo?" Sami sat up on the couch.

"I'm not very hungry, Sam." She softly replied.

"Bullshit, Celeste. You've been saying that for the past day, now why won't you eat?"

The room was quiet and Celeste held herself as Sami raised his voice at her. Sami was never one to get mad easily, but he could tell something was wrong with her and it hurt him that she wasn't being honest. Though she hadn't known him long, he still had a right to know why she was starving herself.

"Celeste..." Sami spoke up again, this time a bit softer.

"I can't eat! People at school call me fat, Sami! Everyone is so mean to me, why am I stuck in this ugly, fat, scarred body!?" Celeste weeped.

Sami stared at Celeste in disbelief and shook his head, pulling her into his arms and hugged her as her tears stained his dark grey t-shirt. He didn't know what to say. What could he say to a pre-teen hysterical girl? She was beautiful, not ugly, and she was _definitely_ not fat. Sami sighed and rubbed her back as her tears seemed endless.

"Celeste, listen to me," Sami pulled her away and held onto her shoulders as he looked into her puffy eyes, "You're a beautiful girl whose just experienced more difficulties in her life than most people. You're not fat by any means. For Christ's sake, Cel, I can see your ribs through your t-shirt. Sweetheart, you have to understand that there will be people in your life who only want to hurt you, and then there are people in your life who will do anything to see you smile again like me, uncle Dean and Meredith. If those people at school are really getting to you, why don't you get Meredith to home school you?"

Celeste sighed as she wiped her sad blue eyes that matched Dean's.

"Meredith doesn't have the time right now to home school me. She doesn't have the time to do anything for me but I love her for doing what she can. It's not her responsibility to take care of me, but she does anyway because Uncle Dean asked her to. I love her so much. I love you all so much for what you've done for me, but I'm not a valuable person. Even if I went to foster care, nobody would adopt me or keep me long because I'm almost thirteen and nobody wants me. People want babies, toddlers, and cute children. I'm an ugly person with no parents."

Sami's heart broke more with every word Celeste spoke. This was like Dean all over again. When they were kids, Sami's dad took Dean in when Dean's parents left him. He declined almost every time Sami offered, but then he finally gave in. Maybe Sami could adopt Celeste, maybe he could turn her life around like Sami's father had done for Dean. It would be a long shot, but Sami was willing to try if she was.

"Celeste?"

"Y-Yeah S-Sami?" She choked on her tears.

"I'll adopt you." He spoke softly and the room was silent for a while.

"You will?" Celeste smiled lightly for the first time all night.

"Of course I will. I might not know much about parenting, but I promise, I'll never let anyone hurt you."

Celeste thought about actually having a father for once. It made her feel warm inside knowing someone actually cared this much about her to make her their daughter. She glanced up at Sami and nodded.

"Celeste Callihan sounds kinda cool."

* * *

><p>Meredith held hands with the man she'd be spending the rest of her life with as they drove back to Cincinnati. She kept glancing down at her engagement ring and smiled every time. Dean looked over at her and chuckled as he gently squeezed her hand.<p>

"Someone's happy." He smirked.

"How could I not be? My time in Cincinnati is almost up, I'm engaged, and my pregnancy is one-third of the way over, so that means we'll be meeting our child soon. Everything is perfect." She smiled.

Meredith's smile could light up the night sky. She was flawless in every way imaginable and Dean couldn't believe she was all his. Not Dustin's, not Corey's, just his, and if anyone ever laid a hand on her, that'd be the last thing they ever did.

"I love you, Mer."

"I love you too, Dean."

Meredith stared out the window as the things on the outside passed by like a blurred line as Dean drove down the highway. Dean was right, this was where they belonged at this point and time. Even though they fought sometimes, and even though they were in a long distance relationship at the moment, everything would eventually fall into place and they could finally be Mr. and Mrs. Ambrose.

_Meredith Ambrose...Hmm, that has a lovely ring to it._

* * *

><p><em><strong>So I haven't updated this story in a good four months, sorry about that. But I've been inspired to start writing this story again, so leave reviews if you'd like. :)<strong>_


	6. Chapter 6

The door to Meredith's apartment she had been sharing with Celeste while she was in Ohio had swung open and Dean walked inside with Meredith in his arms. They were both laughing and seemed so happy. When Dean put Meredith down, Celeste and Sami walked in to join them. Sami immediately looked down at Meredith's left hand to see if Dean had gone through with the plan he'd been telling Sami about for months now and the shiny diamond on her finger had confirmed that he finally went through with it.

Sami looked up at Dean and silently nodded with approval. He then looked down again and noticed how big Meredith's stomach had gotten. He hadn't realized that in just a few months, he would hopefully be their choice for the godparent position, but he wasn't sure that would be the case after he discussed adopting Celeste with them.

The silence was finally broken as Celeste spoke up and grabbed Meredith's hand.

"Is this what I think it is!?" She exclaimed.

Meredith softly laughed and gave Dean a tight squeeze with one arm while nodding.

"Yeah it is. We're finally engaged. Obviously the wedding will be after the baby is born. I can barely fit into my normal clothes, let alone an expensive wedding dress."

"Well I'm sure everything will work out perfectly." Sami assured.

Dean looked over to Sami and narrowed his eyes towards him. Sami knew that look, Dean was aware something was going on. He motioned for Celeste to leave the room and she obeyed as she always did. Dean walked over to the kitchen table and quickly pulled out a chair to sit down. Meredith didn't understand the sudden anger that had rushed through Dean, but whatever it was, she was about to find out.

"Sit." Dean nodded towards the seat across from him.

Sami sat down almost as quickly as Dean had and fumbled with his thumbs.

"What's going on, Sam?" Dean stared a hole in the top of Sami's head until he looked up at him.

"Well...I was just gonna' wait until a better time, but I guess you've already figured something was going on."

The room was silent and Meredith had stayed where she was, Dean was glaring at Sami and Celeste's ear was pressed against her bedroom door only to be welcomed by all the silence until Dean spoke up.

"Well get on with it, Sami." He growled.

"I..Uh, well.." He stammered, "Celeste feels that Meredith doesn't have enough time for her. She's always working, and Celeste is afraid what's going to happen to her after you guys go back to California..."

Dean scowled and leaned forward on the table.

"So what the fuck are you saying here?"

Sami looked down and mumbled.

"I wanna' adopt Celeste.. Shes troubled, I'm troubled. Its a perfect fit really. It'll be just like when my old man brought you in, man."

Dean glared at Sami like he was a mad man for even pitching that idea. Celeste was _his_ baby cousin. He'd lost her once, he wouldn't lose her again. He'd make sure of it.

"Are you fucking crazy? Have you gone completely mad, Sami? What the fuck kind of solution is that? Huh? Shes mine! I'm not letting you take her! I might only be seventeen but I'm capable of taking care of a three year old! Don't take her away, please..."

Dean blubbered into his hands and Sami and Meredith looked at each other. What had gotten into Dean? Why had he thought this was ten years ago? Was losing Celeste really that traumatic for him the first go around?

"Dean..." Meredith cut in.

"Wh..What?" Dean looked up and then looked around at his surroundings. "What the fuck happened?"

"Sami just asked to adopt Celeste and you had a flashback to when you were seventeen..."

The room went quiet again as Dean stared down shamefully at his hands and finally mumbled to Sami.

"Is this 'cause you think I'm not good enough to take care of my own family? Why don't you just adopt my damn child after Meredith gives birth, huh? I'm a shitty guardian, is that what you're trying to say?" His anger had built into him again.

"N-No, Dean.. I just think its best. I mean, my wrestling career is kinda at a standstill for a while until I debut in NXT, its perfect. Its really no trouble man. My dad brought you in when you were around Celeste's age and look how great you turned out."

Dean just sat in his seat reliving all of the moments that Sami's dad had captured and his own family hadn't. Hell, Sami's family _was_ his family whether they were biological or not. The more he thought about it, the more Sami was right. He recalled on many different occasions when he called Meredith to talk to Celeste and she was at work. He wanted someone to capture every great moment in Celeste's life and even though he didn't want to admit it, he couldn't be there for Celeste even if he wanted to. His schedule was much too busy, as was Meredith's. It did make sense. Sami always wanted to be a dad. Maybe this was his chance.

Meredith and Sami sat back and watched Dean pondering his thoughts. He didn't look angry anymore, just sad. Dean shrugged his shoulders, got up from his chair and walked out of the apartment, leaving Meredith and Sami in silence.

"Should we go after him?" Meredith looked towards the open door.

Sami shook his head calmly and just sighed.

"Just give him some time. Anyways, you two are engaged. That's pretty exciting, right?"

"Not if he just walks out every time we have a fight." Meredith frowned.

"Don't worry, Mer. Everything will be alright, I promise."

For the first time since Meredith had met Dean, she had felt herself being comforted more by someone else rather than Dean. And that scared her more than anything.


End file.
